Archives For Faith In Crisis

The Lord’s “Short” Prayer

Jeff Olson —  May 20, 2013 — 1 Comment

Early on in His earthly ministry, Jesus delivered one of His most well-known and compelling “sermons.” In the middle of this great discourse, He took up the topic of prayer.

Jesus taught the large crowd who had gathered below him on a Galilean mountainside not to try to impress others with their eloquent prayers (Matthew 6:5). He also said they shouldn’t try to employ lots of words to manipulate their Heavenly Father into hearing their prayers. After all, their Heavenly Father knows what they need before they ask (Matthew 6:7-8).

He then gave the people a practical example of what He was describing—which many have dubbed “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13).

First, He demonstrated a worshipful and reverent prayer by simply starting with “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9). And then in just a few short words that would nearly fit into a single “tweet,” Jesus showed how to meaningfully pray for God’s kingdom to reign on earth as in heaven, daily needs, forgiveness, and deliverance from the evil one’s influence (Matthew 6:10-13).

Urgent times may call for longer prayers, like the time my friend’s grandmother boldly entered the throne of the Almighty on behalf of her grandson whose life hung by a thread. My point here is that we should not confuse quantity with quality. Long does not equal better.

On the eve of His crucifixion, the gospel accounts record Jesus praying long and hard in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 36:42). But it’s interesting to note that even there the record shows His words were few:

“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).

“My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42).

Even as Jesus hung suffering on a cross, the prayers He uttered out loud were brief.

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

“Eli, Eli,lema sabachthani?” [which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”] (Matthew 27:46).

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46)

Here’s the point to consider: Our prayers don’t have to be long and drawn out to be authentic, heartfelt, and effective.

In Prayer & Worship
 permalink

Running into the Father’s Presence

Dennis Moles —  May 17, 2013 — 1 Comment

It has been nearly 25 years since the phone rang bringing us the terrible news that my younger cousin Jacob had been badly hurt. He had been playing with some neighbor kids and in a freak accident a guttering spike had been driven 6 inches into his brain. It entered between his eyeball and the orbital bone. He was rushed to the hospital, but the situation was grave and the doctors gave us very little hope that he would survive. It would take a miracle.

During this crisis, our family scrambled into action. Several hurried to the hospital to be with Jacob. Several others gathered at with my grandmother’s house to wait.

The usually light atmosphere at my grandparents’ house was replaced by one of heaviness and sorrow. Without much conversation, we gathered around Grandma who lay weeping on the couch. With Jacob barely clinging to life, we did the only thing we felt we could do. We prayed. I did not know it at the time but that prayer would forever change how I approached God in prayer.

As we began to pray, my grandmother could do nothing but weep. We prayed and she cried. She cried and said “Please, Father” under her breath as we timidly plead for Jacob’s healing. As the family prayer session went on, Mommaw started to pray.

There was no pretense or pleasantries in her prayer. At first it was agonizing to listen to her, but then the agony, while still present, began to give way as she charged boldly into the throne room of the Almighty. It was clear that she was asking for God’s help. She wanted Him to heal Jake, but it was also more than that. She also needed His presence, for without His presence she could not survive the pain. She needed to know that even in this terrible circumstance God was near. That He still heard and still cared.

By the time she really hit her stride in prayer, we had all stopped praying. We simply knelt quietly, and with our eyes wide open we watched Mommaw pray. We all knew she had taken us to a holy and intimate place. It was a place she seemed to know well; she had obviously been there before.

In those tense and fearful moments, Mommaw showed us that what we all really need in times of intense grief and sorrow is the Lord’s presence. We longed for Jacob’s healing—and by God’s grace and mercy we got what we wanted—but what we really needed more than anything else was God Himself. For He truly is our only hope in life and in death.

In Anger, Despair, Grandparenting, Guilt, Hopelessness, Marriage & Family, Prayer & Worship ,
 permalink

Unanswered Prayer

Tim Jackson —  May 14, 2013 — Leave a comment

Don’t you just hate it when you’re trying to communicate with someone and they don’t even bother to answer you? Even if it’s a text, an email, or a Facebook post, some response is better than flat-out silence. But it’s especially annoying when you know they heard you but are refusing to answer you. Now that’s downright disrespectful, even infuriating.

So, how do you respond when God doesn’t answer your prayers? After all, He’s omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent—nothing ever escapes His purview. He knows all, sees all, and hears all. If this is true, and we believe it is, then why do some of our prayers seem to fall on deaf ears? If it’s not that God can’t, didn’t, or somehow failed to hear our prayers, then we are left with a devastating but logical conclusion:  We are intentionally being ignored. And if that’s true, then God really doesn’t care about us or our concerns.

When prayers go unanswered, our feelings of being abandoned, discarded, ignored, and insignificant are inflamed. And that’s when we are prone to simply give up. To quit praying because no matter how often or how long or how passionately we pray, it doesn’t seem to make much difference at all.

Philip Yancey offers four reasons for unanswered prayers in his book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?

photo(5)Some, but not all, unanswered prayers trace back to a fault in the one who prays. Some, but not all, trace back to God’s mystifying respect for human freedom and refusal to coerce. Some, but not all, trace back to dark powers contending against God’s rule. Some, but not all, trace back to a planet marred with disease, violence, and the potential for tragic accident. How, then, can we make sense of any single experience of unanswered prayer? (p. 232)

So what’s your take on unanswered prayer? How do you respond when you’ve prayed your heart out for something or someone who deeply matters to you and there’s no response from heaven?

We’d love to hear from you. Join in the discussion here as we grapple with unanswered prayer.

We’d like to invite you to continue the discussion and join us for our free webinar on prayer on May 23, at 12 pm EDT. I’ll be joined by fellow blogger and RBC Ministries Bible teacher Dennis Moles and pastor and DHP author Dr. James Banks for Prayer: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters. The hashtag for the webinar is #whyprayermatters.

Space it limited, so sign up soon at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6822142345903290368

In Prayer & Worship , , ,
 permalink

When I Think about Prayer . . .

Tim Jackson —  May 9, 2013 — Leave a comment

What images come to mind when you think about prayer? The variety of 5230673897_2334590d51_simages that shape our ideas about prayer can be as distinctive and varied as the uniqueness of each individual’s back story.

6773848012_804d4df31b_sImages may vary from table prayers and bedside traditions to cathedrals, temples, churches, and mosques with minarets to prayer shawls, prayer journals, prayer breakfasts, calls to prayer, prayer meetings, the Lord’s Prayer, national days of prayer, and praying hands.

_MG_5217

It’s clear that prayer is of great interest. Just Google “prayer” and take a look at some of the 237,000,000 results that pop up. Pray matters for many people. But why does it matter?

2221223106_f00e1ea1c9_sPrayer is a matter of private practice and public policy.

Prayer is a matter of comfort for some and controversy for others.

Prayer is both a mystery and a discipline.

Prayer is a routine expression of gratefulness for “daily bread” and a desperate plea for help in the midst of devastating adversity. Prayers are offered both in solitary moments alone or in collective gatherings of like-minded believers.

So what are your thoughts about prayer? Got questions about prayer? So do we.

That’s one of the reasons our first live RBC Webinar event is going to focus on prayer. Join us on May 23 at 12:00 p.m. EDT in the US for “Prayer: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters.” I’ll be hosting the event along with one of my colleagues, Dennis Moles (read his precious post about his grandmother’s prayer closet). We’ll be joined by Dr. James Banks, pastor of Peace Church in Durham, NC, and DHP author of three books on prayer. (Spoiler alert: At the webinar, we’ll let you know how you can download a free copy of his eBook The Lost Art of Praying Together: Rekindling a Passion for Prayer.)

Now I must confess, we’re no experts on prayer. We’re pilgrims with you on this journey of faith. We all struggle at times to pray even though we readily affirm how important prayer is for each of us a follower of Jesus. We’re going to be discussing prayer—asking questions, making observations, sharing insights and stories. Join us at the table. You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions and hear responses from each of us.

To join us, sign up at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6822142345903290368

Space is limited, so register soon. We’re looking forward to learning more as we explore the topic of prayer together.

If you’re a Twitter follower and want to submit questions for the webinar early, tweet them using the hashtag #whyprayermatters and we’ll collect them for our time together.

 

In Prayer & Worship
 permalink

Pray like no one but God is listening

Dennis Moles —  May 7, 2013 — 1 Comment

One of the great gifts my father gave to me was the ability to tell stories. One of my preferred pastimes as a boy was to sit and listen to Dad tell stories about his childhood. One of my favorite involved my grandmother and her prayer closet.

Dad, according to his recollection, was about 10 years old when my grandfather (Poppawe Damon) took him and his two younger siblings, Joe and Eileen, out to mend a fence that was about 200 yards behind their house.

As they worked my grandfather suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked back toward the house. Poppawe’s sudden lack of activity caught the attention of the kids, and he answered their unspoken question with a simple, “Listen.”

As they stood there in near silence, the kids began to hear what he had heard. In the distance, they made out a single voice. It was hushed but earnest; tender and pleading.

It did not take the kids long to figure out who was talking. It was their mother. And it didn’t take them long to figure out who she was talking to—God. The longer Momawe prayed, the louder she became.

Dad still remembers standing there at the edge of the woods listening to his mother pray. He remembers the intensity and passion in her prayer. He remembers hearing her pray for him, Joe, and Eileen. He remembers her crying with joy at the presence of her Lord as Jesus met her in the midst of her worship and petition. He remembers Poppawe telling them that Momawe was in the closet, where she went to meet with God (Matthew 6:5-6).

I heard this story many times while I was growing up. And while the actual event took place nearly 20 years before I was born, I still sense the reverence of that moment.

Dad was given a great gift that day. He was able to hear how his mother prayed when she thought no one was listening.

Christian prayer in its most intimate form is like that. It is an intimate conversation. It’s raw but beautiful. It is not ritualistic and measured but relational and empowered. It’s saying what you would say when you think no one but God is listening.

If you have a desire to grow and be strengthened in your prayer life please join us for a live webinar event, “Prayer: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters”.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6822142345903290368

Register soon; space is limited. Hope to see you there!

In Marriage & Family, Parenting, Prayer & Worship, Relationships
 permalink

We Are Vulnerable

Tim Jackson —  April 22, 2013 — Leave a comment

If last Monday’s events at the Boston Marathon reminded us of anything—it’s that we’re all susceptible to some form of attack or injury, be it physical, financial, emotional, relational, or spiritual. We all suffer wounds as we navigate through life.

To be vulnerable means we are susceptible. The Latin root for the word vulnerable is vulner[are] meaning, “to wound.”

When I get into my car to head home after posting this blog I will face vulnerability. I could be hurt, maimed, or killed in a senseless car accident on the way home. That’s my reality–my vulnerability. It may not be at the hands of a madman with a bomb or an airplane diverted into a building. Instead, my wound might be inflicted by a careless teenager texting while driving. Wounds inflicted through no fault of our own are devastating no matter how, when, where, what, or who the source is.

No one can predict the future with any kind of clarity. I want to see things coming at me so I can prepare and protect myself and those I love from them. But I haven’t been given that kind of clarifying vision.

We are vulnerable because we live in a hazardous and hostile world. And that’s a frightening thought.

But how will we choose to deal with our fear? Some of us may become hypervigilant, seeking to minimize or eliminate all danger. Others choose to deny that we’re vulnerable–creating the self-induced illusions of invincibility or false security. Or we learn to depend on Someone greater than ourselves who will help us face with courage and grace anything that threatens to harm us.

The writer of Psalm 56 was David. Israel’s beloved king knew firsthand what it was like to be vulnerable in the presence of his enemies. Later, when he remembered those terrorizing events, he penned these words: “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” (Psalm 56:3,4)

When I’m vulnerable, I need to remember that I’m not alone in my vulnerability. And neither are you. As God was with David, He is with us.

In Doubts, Faith In Crisis , , , , ,
 permalink

Show & Tell

Tim Jackson —  April 3, 2013 — Leave a comment

Having just come through the Easter holiday, I spent some time rereading Matthew’s account of Jesus’ last days on earth (Matt. 26–28). I started in chapter 26 with the religious leadership plotting to kill Him, and then read about His anointing at Bethany; His betrayal by Judas; His last Passover celebration with His disciples; His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane; and His betrayal, trial, death, burial, resurrection, and appearances after His resurrection. I ended with His Great Commission and ascension into heaven.

As I reflected on what I’d read, what was deeply impressed on my heart was how God didn’t just tell us that He loved us, He showed us.

Words can be cheap if they aren’t backed up with actions. “I love yous” carry little weight when there’s no tangible demonstration of loving actions that support the words.

As I read Matthew’s words on Easter Sunday morning, it became even more apparent just how far God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were willing to go to back up their words with the actions that proved it.

The most commonly known Bible verse, John 3:16, tells us that because “God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son.” Those words would mean nothing without Jesus invading our planet, living among us, and then sacrificing Himself in our place. That’s love in action; and that’s what matters.

How much does God really love us? He went all the way and left no doubt!

The hope of mankind—in a world in desperate need and that can feel hopeless at times—is best contained in this simple but profound reminder from Paul: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8 NIV).

That’s our only hope this Easter: That God not only cared so deeply that He was willing to tell us how much He loved us, but that He also was willing to show us His lavish love (1 John 3:1) in His Son’s willingness to die and be raised to life so that we could be rescued from sin and death and be given a new life as adopted sons and daughters of the King of kings.

In Bible & Bible Study, Faith In Crisis , , , , , , ,
 permalink

The Bible

Jeff Olson —  March 26, 2013 — Leave a comment

Earlier this month the Discovery Channel began airing the mini-series simply titled The Bible. Even though reviews have been lukewarm, the series has become a big hit with viewers.

To the surprise of some, it’s been the most watched Sunday night show on television. It’s estimated that over 68 million viewers have tuned in since it premiered on March 3, 2013.

Why the high ratings? I don’t think it’s because of the series’ pinpoint biblical accuracy. It is an “adaptation of bible stories” that “endeavors to stay true to the spirit of the book.”

As far as we know, Sarah did not race up Mt. Moriah pleading for Isaac’s life. I seriously doubt there was a Ninja style fight in the city of Sodom. And for the life of me, I don’t understand why Hollywood can’t get the story of the wise men right. There weren’t three of them nor did they visit Jesus the night of his birth. (Read Matthew 2:1-12 for the true version of events.)

It could be argued that the stunning graphics and special effects may have something to do with how many people are watching. The opening scene of Noah’s ark is quite compelling. And the depiction of the Red Sea crossing would make Cecil B. DeMille (of The Ten Commandments) proud.

But when it comes right down to it, the main reason the series has attracted so many viewers is simply the topic itself. Perhaps it goes to show that both in the culture at large and within the church, there is a strong hunger to know the larger the story of the Bible.

When told—from cover to cover—and understood properly, the larger story the Bible tells is one that deeply resonates within us. It helps us better understand who we are, where we’ve come from, and where we are going. It’s an epic story that ultimately shapes and gives meaning to our lives.

As the producer of the series Mark Burnett said, “There’s a reason the Bible is the most widely read book in the world.”

So whether you tune in and watch The Bible or not, feed your hunger. Make it your goal to get a better grasp of the grand narrative of the Bible—from beginning to end.

It tells the best story ever!

In Bible & Bible Study, Faith In Crisis, God, Jesus Christ , , , ,
 permalink

October Baby

Jeff Olson —  January 31, 2013 — Leave a comment

Over the weekend I watched the film October Baby. It tells the story of a college-aged girl named Hannah whose world is turned upside down after she discovers she is the adopted survivor of a failed abortion.

This story about a girl whose life almost wasn’t is a powerful film on forgiveness. Hannah had to wrestle through strong bitter feelings and forgive several people before she could move on with her life.

The film’s grace-filled, non-condemning treatment of Hannah’s biological mother, who had attempted to abort her, was also a surprising breath of fresh air. Women who suffer the heartache of having had an abortion may find watching this film to be a very healing experience.

Something Hannah’s adoptive dad shared with her near the end of the movie also stuck with me. Hannah’s discovery and search for her birth mother caused a lot of tension between the two of them, which he often didn’t handle well. As they stood next to each other at the graveside of the twin brother Hannah never knew she had, her dad confessed,

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s that I’m trying honestly to learn to trust God again.”

Leaving things we care about in God’s capable and loving hands is a most important lesson for us all to learn.

In Anger, Doubts, Emotions, Faith In Crisis, Grief & Loss, Guilt, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Relationships, Shame & Contempt, Suffering , , , ,
 permalink

Life Is . . .

Tim Jackson —  January 15, 2013 — Leave a comment

I love being a willing accomplice to surprises! I had just such an opportunity while back in Pennsylvania over the holidays. My daughter-in-law asked me to pick up a surprise Christmas gift for my son at a little Amish wood shop on my way home. While I waited for the shopkeeper to get my son’s rocking chair, I found a variety of sayings scattered throughout the store that peaked my interest. Many were the folksy kind of Pennsylvania Dutch wisdom that often makes me laugh. Others were more thought provoking.

But one saying especially captured my attention. Maybe it was the timing–looking back and reflecting on the past year and looking ahead to the challenges and opportunities in the new year–but I found myself particularly drawn to this one:

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it. Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it. Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it. Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it. Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.” . . . Mother Teresa

Profound in its simplicity, this little sign is a good reminder that life is important. It matters in all of its aspects, and it’s meant to be lived to the fullest each and every moment of every day. Why? Because life is a precious and glorious gift from our amazingly good God.

The words of Jesus in John 10:10 come to mind when He reminded us: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” And that’s the kind of life that really matters.

Let’s commit to living life well and more fully this year than the last because of Jesus.

I’m in. How about you?

In Faith In Crisis , , , , ,
 permalink